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Belavaer
Belavaer is a corporatocracy located on Arguros' western border. It is a land of posh architecture funded by wealthy merchants and tailors. The capital is the city of Samhain, where there are festivals and masquerades every day of the year. The fashion industry is their most important aspect. Anyone who wishes to become a citizen of Belavaer must adhere to strict standards of conduct which involve keeping up with the latest trends and fads. Effectively, they enforce social control via the bandwagon effect and intensive marketing. Belavaer is largely isolationist when it comes to accepting new citizens, but they engage in trade with other nations. Government The government is run by an oligarchy that mostly remains hidden in the background, making executive decisions on their own. However, to the public, a powerful family of celebrities that merely exists as a figurehead. They merely entertain and speak with the public, but do not actually make decisions on their own. Unlike other nations in the area, Belavaer does not execute their criminals nor do they engage in physical torture. Belavaer instead opts for public humiliation and shaming. The criminal's face is posted on large posters throughout urban areas and their crimes are made known to everyone no matter how small, and very often, these crimes are highly exaggerated for slanderous effect. Those who do not conform are often exiled or sold as slaves to other nations. Belavaer makes use of slaves themselves who are often brainwashed with enchantment spells to absolutely willing to do anything for their masters. These slaves will endlessly work in rigorous conditions and will often die of exhaustion unless their masters tell them specifically to stop working. Culture Citizens are rewarded with material goods such as jewelery and food when they praise the government and speak highly of them. Speaking negatively of the government is illegal and is considered deviant, making them susceptible for being shamed. Religion Belavaer is irreligious despite the majority of other neighboring nations being Asmosian. Instead, celebrities and other famous individuals are worshiped as idols - these demigods are known as the Enchanted. These celebrities are frequently mages who have strong enchanting skills and can influence people's decisions with subtle magical spells. While it is said anyone can actually join the Enchanted Ones, it is extremely difficult to do so, and only those with enough charisma and magical ability have any chance of joining this exclusive group. Military Attempts by other nations to convert Belavaer to Asmosianism have failed as Belavaer boasts a surprisingly powerful army of mages, led by the Enchanted Ones. These mages often stop wars before they even start by simply using mind tricks against their enemies. However, Belavaer themselves do not possess a large enough military to actively conquer other nations, and thus, any attempt at fighting them generally results in a stalemate. The tactics used by these mages are best described as unorthodox. Mages do not actually use any standard military equipment and rely entirely on both their physical appearance and magical skills to confuse and deceive the enemy. For example, these mages have control over luck and probability, and they can bewitch an enemy into having their weapons more likely to malfunction so that they never attack in the first place. These mages, however, do not possess many offensive equipment, opting to ward off invaders as opposed to killing them outright. History Belavaer used to be a province of the New Leir Empire until they broke off to form their own nation when they began to reject the god Asmos. This resulted in a civil war between the two nations, but it eventually ended in stalemate when Belavaer's mages continuously used mind enchantments to convince New Leir soldiers from pushing the offensive. Though they were devastated by the war, they recovered virtually over night when a wealthy merchants guild moved into the area and offered jobs to those affected by the war. The economy boomed, but at the cost of the guild eventually monopolizing all trade within Belavaer. Eventually, they usurped the prime minister and began to run it themselves. During the Mage Ethics War, Belavaer supported Arguros by providing a few of their celebrity mages to put an end to a battle of attrition by Shale. Since then, Belavaer has remained neutral in the affairs of other nations. Category:Countries Category:Articles by User:Krayfish